African long-eared owl

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
African long-eared owl
Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Owls (Strigiformes)
Family : Real owls (Strigidae)
Genre : Ear Owls ( Asio )
Type : African long-eared owl
Scientific name
Asio abyssinicus
( Guérin-Méneville , 1843)

The African long-eared owl ( Asio abyssinicus ), also called Ethiopian long-eared owl or Ethiopian long-eared owl , is a species from the family of real owls. It occurs in two subspecies exclusively in Africa.

Appearance

With a height of 42 to 44 centimeters, it is a medium-sized representative of its species. Like all eared owls, it has striking feather ears . The face veil is reddish brown. It is dark brown on the upper side of the body with individual pale spots. On the front breast it is dense dark brown and reddish brown speckles. The rest of the underside of the body has brown vertical and horizontal stripes. The eyes are yellowish. The legs and toes are feathered.

The long-eared owl is smaller and has a paler face veil surrounded by a dark and noticeable border. It also lacks the vertical and horizontal stripes. In the Cape Owl , the feather ears are further apart.

distribution and habitat

The African long-eared owl inhabits the Ethiopian highlands and the mountain forests in the Western Rift . She is probably a resident. It populates heather and open grassland as well as swamp areas with groups of trees, wooded regions in the highlands, moist forest valleys and gorges at altitudes between 2,800 and 3,900 meters above sea level.

Way of life

The African long-eared owl is a crepuscular and nocturnal species of owl. She often transmits sitting near the tree trunk. The food spectrum includes small mammals. It also eats other small vertebrates and lizards. Reproductive biology, on the other hand, is not very well researched. However, it is certain that it is territorial and that it often lays its clutch in the abandoned nests of other birds. Their reproductive biology is believed to be similar to that of the long-eared owl.

Subspecies

So far, two subspecies are known:

Etymology and history of research

Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville published the African long-eared owl under the name Otus abyssinicus . The type specimen was collected by Pierre Victor Adolphe Ferret and Joseph Germain Galinier in what was then the Abyssinian Empire . Already in 1760 Mathurin-Jacques Brisson introduced the new genus Asio , to which the African long-eared owl was later assigned. "Asio" is Latin for an "owl with long ears". »Abyssinicus« refers to the collecting area from which the type specimen came. "Graueri" is dedicated to Rudolf Grauer . The type specimen came from his collection and was collected at Lake Tanganyika .

supporting documents

Single receipts

  1. ↑ König et al., P. 481
  2. ^ IOC World Bird List Owls
  3. ↑ a b c Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville, p. 321.
  4. ↑ a b Moriz Sassi, p. 122.
  5. ^ Mathurin-Jacques Brisson, p. 28.
  6. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 57.

literature

  • Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
  • James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
  • Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville: Oiseaux nouveaux découverts par MM. Ferret et Galinier pendant leur voyage en Abyssinie . In: Revue zoologique la Société cuviérienne . 1843, p. 321-322 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  • Moriz Sassi: A new eared owl from Central Africa (Asio abessinicus graueri nov. Subsp.). In: Anzeiger der Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe . tape 49 , 1912, pp. 122-123 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  • Mathurin-Jacques Brisson: Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés: a laquelle on a joint une description exacte de chaque espece, avec les citations des auteurs qui en ont traité, les noms quils leur ont donnés, ceux que leur ont donnés les différentes nations, & les noms vulgaires . tape 1 . Ad Ripam Augustinorum, apud Cl. Joannem-Baptistam Bauche, bibliopolam, ad Insigne S. Genovesae, & S. Joannis in Deserto, Paris 1760 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).

Web links